http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings en-us Copyright 2008 - SFO Media 2012-02-14T05:50:42Z HotelChatter HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/images/hcwhite.jpg http://www.hotelhotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/local/604 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2010/8/23/225858/843 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/10trickedoutcars.jpg" class="top"><p>These days we've been noticing that hotels are trying to make our stays feel more like home. That's why we rarely see a hotel room without a flat-screen TV, an iPod dock, a stack of pillows on the bed and "home-like" decor. But doesn't that seem kind of crazy? Who wants to pay good money to spend the night at home? Not us. <p>We want our hotel stay to be a chance at living beyond our means, if only for one night. That's why we're obsessed with hotels with <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2010/5/25/11110/6152/hotels/The_Best_Geek_Hotels_in_the_World_in_2010">cool technology</a>, <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2010/6/27/125953/845/hotels/10_Death_Defying_Rooftop_Hotel_Pools">death-defying rooftop pools</a> and <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2010/7/20/195259/603/hotels/HotelChatter_s_10_Sexiest_Hotel_Rooms_Alive_">sexy suites.</a> And now we've got a new lust--<b>10 Tricked Out Hotel House Cars</b>.<p>These hotels ferry their guests around in juliana 2010-08-24T10:37:11-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/7/28/1445/75666 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/orchids_halekulani.jpg" class="top"><p> Since we heard that <i>The King of Cocktail</i>, <a href="http://www.kingcocktail.com/">Dale DeGroff</a> had a hand in revamping <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Halekulani/local/604"><b>Halekulani&#146;s</b></a> <a href="http://www.halekulani.com/dining/lewers_lounge">Lewer&#146;s Lounge</a> cocktail menu, we decided to pop into the swank Hawaiian spot on a recent tour of the islands. We muddled through some cocktail R&D, had a delish dinner at House Without a Key, and got an unexpected culinary two-fer, as the poshy posh resort had just announced the August debut of their <b>Table One</b>.<p>The resort&#146;s Executive Chef Vikram Garg is touting Table One as a &#147;restaurant within the restaurant&#148; located in the atrium of the hotel's Orchids restaurant (pictured above.) Is this kind of like the <a href="http://www.vegaschatter.com/tag/Hotels%20Within%20Hotels">hotel within a hotel trend</a> we see in Vegas? globetrotting gourmet 2009-07-28T16:12:06-05:00 21.2781280 -157.83163 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/6/15/211127/869 <![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/6929/halekulani2.jpg" class="top"><p> <p>If you're staying in the Orchid Suite at the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Halekulani/local/604"><b>Halekulani Resort</b></a> in Hawaii, you'd better get your ears checked out before you arrive. Otherwise you won't be able to properly appreciate their newest innovation: the <b>Steinway & Sons Model M Architectural Speaker System</b>.<p>Obviously when you've got a super fancy luxury suite (especially in a destination densely-packed with hotels), you have to do something to make it a bit different from all the other luxury suites around, and this time they've picked amping up the sound system. It's got technical features which we can't quite fathom, like "3-D room adaptation technology" (sounds good though) and the <b>speakers are even trimmed with 24-karat gold. </b>What's more, the Halekulani amandak 2009-06-16T09:02:37-05:00 21.2781280 -157.83163 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/1/29/13100/8325 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/maseratinight.jpg" class="top"><p>While the economy in Hawaii is slowing down, the cars at the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Halekulani/local/604"><b>Halekulani Resort</b></a> in Honolulu are just revving up. The luxury hotel has announced an "exotic automobile amenity program" called <b>Art in Motion.</b><blockquote><p> The exceptional fleet features a custom designed Maserati Gran Turismo and Bentley Continental GTC, the Lotus Elise and the Lotus Exige S. These works of art are included as part of the guest experience with a stay in one of The Premier Suites at Halekulani which includes The Royal Suite, The Vera Wang Suite and the new lifestyle oasis, The Orchid Suite. In addition, the program is exclusively available to all Halekulani house guests as an a la carte experiential amenity.</blockquote></p><p>The Bentley and juliana 2009-01-29T13:19:09-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/7/23/02938/9502 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/fourseasonsmaui_pool.jpg" class="imgborder"> <p><b>[Ed Note: Alex Salkever is the editor and founder of <a href="http://hawaiirama.com">Hawaiirama</a>, a Hawaii travel blog.]</b> <p>Hotels in Aloha Land have long been perennial placeholders on <a href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2008/">Travel + Leisure's annual World's Best Awards</a>. <p>Rinse, repeat in 2008 but hold the coconut, surfer boy. Things may not be as glossy as they seem: several Hawaii hotels returning to the uber list actually declined in rankings. <p>The <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Four+Seasons+Hualalai/ian/127265"><b>Four Seasons Resort Hualalai</b></a>, on the Big Island, ranked No. 27, down from No. 9 in 2007 -- perhaps showing its relative age? <p>Waikiki's <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Halekulani/local/604"><b>Halekulani</b></a> snagged No. 44, down from No. 38 a year ago. Sniff, sniff (maybe it was the <a href="http://hawaiirama.com/2008/07/hawaii-hotels-bedbugs-at-the-h">bedbugs report</a>? Although Halekulani gets bonus <a ASalkever 2008-07-23T17:30:01-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/